Improvement in water-meters



PATENTED JAN. 17-, i871. I. e. HBSSE.

WATER METER.

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V iATENTED JAN.1'7, 1871. P.'G.IHESSE'. WATER METER:

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Ill Iii/114$ 7/? jar CW .iiiaiied san Hititt dtliflittt Letters Patent No. 111,060, dated January 17, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-METERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

Oakland, in'the county of Alameda and State of Cali-' fornia, have invented a Machine for Measuring Fluids, which I dcnominate a. Fluid-Meter; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,'clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to'the accompanying drawing making part of this specification, in which-'- Figure 1, plate 1, is a section taken vertically and transversely through the machine.

Figure 2, plate 1, is a view of the belt and its stiltehing-rods. v

Fi ure 3, plate 1, is a view of one end of the main whee and its attachments.

Figure 4, plate 2, is a view exposing the interior of the machine, with the belt removed from the wheels. Figure 5, plate 2, is an end view of the main wheel, with a head removed to expose its intcrionarrangement.

Figure 6, plate 2, is a dianictrical section through the main wheel. I

Figure 7, plate 3, is a front elevation oi the machine.

Figure 8, plate 3, is a side elevation of the machine. I

Figures 9, plate 3, show two modes of applying stili'ening-hars to the belt;

Figure 10, plate 3, is a modification of the mode of operating the wolves or pistons.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures. I

This invention relates to machines which arcdesigned for measuring water and other fluids'.

It co1rsists-- v I First, in a rotary and annularly-groovcd or flanged wheel, which is arranged inside of a suitable casing, and provided with radially-reelprocating valves, an endless belt, and a stationary outlet-conduit, said parts being so constructed and arranged that, during the passage of water through the casing, the currcntwill operate on' the valves of said wheel within a succession of chambers which are formed circumf'crcntially by said endless belt, and cause the wheel to rotate with very littlefriction and at a uniform rate of speed, as will be hereinafter explained. j

Second, in the employment for the grooved wheel of an endless belt, which is armed, with stificning-bars so applied as to adord allthe required degree of flexibility necessary to allow the belt freedom to passaround with the wheel at the same time to afford the required ina-fter explained.

resistance to the water passing upon it,as'will be here-- Third, in a stationary cam, in combination with vibrating arms and with valves which are applied to the rotary wheel, whereby the rotary motion given to this wheel will actuate the valves at proper times with reference to the month of the outlet-conduit, as will be hereinafter explained.

To-enabl others skilled in the art .to understand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

The casing which incloscs the mechanism-consists of two vertically-divided sections, L L, properly packed and bolted together, with an inlet-pipe, I, and an'ontlet, D, for the fluid passing through the case. These pipes may be arranged opposite one another, as shown in fig. 8., or they may be arranged in any other suitable manner. V p I a Inside of this case are twoflanged wheels, W and R, around which passes an endless belt, .13, armed with transverse stiffening-bars a, hereafter more particularly explained.

The wheel 12. has journal-supports r 1', which are alljnstahle vertically for putting on andtaking oi! the belt B and-for tightening this belt.

The wheel W has a shaft-, o, -running centrally through it, which shaft is supported by bearings o 0', and one end of it extends through the casing to operate the indicating mechanism.

This indicating mechanism may be constructed in any well-known manner which will indicate the rotations of wheel I. It will be inclosed with its dial in a box which will be bolted to the case L.

' The wheclW has its circumference formed by flanges ff, annularbelt-supports g g, and an intermediate annular channel, a, which are'united to thehub by means of partitions h h h. This wheel presents interior-1y three chambers, whiclrare closed by heads 11 p, as

shown in fig. (5.

Parts of the sides of the channel 11. are cored out atcqual distances, so as to leave radial valve-seats b b b, shown in figs. 1 and 5, for receiving against them valves E E E.

Each valve E is secured to two arms, A A, which are properly curved and pivoted at 'i i, so as to swing freely toward and from the axis of the wheel W.

The pivot-pins i of the arms, on one side-of the wheel W, extend through the plate or head 1), (see fig. 3,) and have'arms F secured to them, which lattor are provided with anti-friction rollers F, that are held by springs 3 against the perimeter of a stationary cam, (l,

Cam G is of a segment form, and is secured by its hub c to statioi try arms H, which prevent the cam from turning th wheel W. The arms H'arc bolted fast to one-half of'the casing L.

On one side of the wheel. W, and nicely fitted into its channel a, is an outlet-conduit, l, which is segmental in form, and is connected to a horizontal outlet pipe, D, either rigidly or'by neans of aflexible tubcd. Bymeans of two set-screws, t t, the conduit. 1? is connected to the cross-head H of thearms H H", which screws allow the conduit to be adjustedand properly set up to the wheel W, and, .by means of the cross-head H, the pipe-1) is secured-to the casing L.

The conduit P is made of sufiicient length to close the channel during the passage of the open spaces containing the valve-seats, and the outer face of this conduit should recede about two oue-hundredths of an inch from the face 9, to prevent contact with the;

belt B.

The belt B, which passes-around pulley-or' wheel It and wheel W, is made preferably of vulcanized r-ubher, and provided on its outer side with bars or ribs.

a running transversely, and of sufficient length to lap over and rest on the surfaces g g. The bars or ribs (1- may be made with beveled sides, orthey may be made of T-shaped pieces, as shown in fig. 9.

As the wheel W revolves in the direction of thdarrow in fig. 1, euch'valvc E will be closed or brought to its seat I) just before it reaches the point z, where the belt B closes around the wheel, and each valve remains closed until the next valve has reached a little beyond said point z,-when it opens, passes under the conduit P, and then closes again after em'erg-' ing from it. The belt and the valve thus form the channel a, which communicates only with the discharge-pipe D through the conduitl and pipe D.

The casing L being filled andsupplied with fluid I the channel n'throu'ghout the entire circumference,

and without reference to the position of the valves or the openings for their reception.

' The fluid, under such a head as is necessary to revolve the wheel W, presses upon that portion of the belt B which covers channel a.

To resist this pressure the ribs (1, above described, are employed.- The material and form of the ribs may be varied according to pressure and width of the annularchannel a, but under allcircumstances those portions of theribs in contact with the belt should cover or nearly cover the same. The ribs may be fastened to the belt in various ways. I find Indiarubber cement to answer a good purpose. The main object in fastening the ribs to the belt is the e'xclu-- sion of fluid from between ribs and belt, so that the whole pressure of the fluid may act uponthe ribs, which in turn press against the annular surfaces 9 g. The pressure of the fluid on the belt completely prevcnts leakage between the latter and the surfaces g g, without exposing the'bcit to injurious strain.

The belt. oflcrsanother great advantage in that it causes the pressure of the fluid on the wheel and its hearings to be balanced, since said pressure is transmitted from the belt to thefwhcel and shaft in opposite directions to the pressure exerted on' the opposite portion of the wheel, therefore receives only that pressure which is the resultant of -,the power applied and of the resistance oll'ered. v v v I The pulley'or-wheel R is used to prevent swinging and a consequent rubbing of the belt '13 against the sides of the casingL.

I To 'lessen leakage between the belt and outer sur-' face of conduit P, the latter .may be grooved transversely,as shown at yy, figs. 1 and 4.

In fig..10 I have represented a modification of the mode above described of operating valves E. It illustrates the use of four-valves, each opposite pair being connected by a rod, 0', and arms g'g', which;

are pivoted on the projecting pins of the anti-friction rollers.- .Th'er cam O is so constructed as to embrace these two conditions, 'viz., required motion of .the

valves and unvarying distance of the pins of each opposite pair of anti-friction rollers. The arms 9' g are madeof-sutficient length to'allow the rods r to yield undcr their elasticity in order to admit of a slight variation in the dist-ancebetwee'n the pins on account of any imperfection in the cam or the introduction of any foreign substance that might get between .the

camand rollers. By my invention which I have above described I overcome many of the difficulties hitherto encountered in the construction and operation of fluid-meters on the rotary principle; such, for instance, I secure a uniform flow of the. fluid at a. very high degree of speed, and a consequent reduction in the dimensions of the meters. I'dispensc with all packing, and have no friction of sliding surfaces; and I obtain accu racy, durability, and cheapness.

It is obvious that, by applyingpower to the large flanged wheel, the machine hereinbet'ore;described may beused as a pump.

Having described my invention 9 WhatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The rotary flanged wheel W, channeled, provided with valves E and a conduit, P, and arranged in a suitable casing, in combination with an endless belt, B, substantially as described. 7

2.- The'endless belt-B, armed with stiffening-bars a, in combination with wheel W, substantially as described.

3. Stationary cam 0, in combination with valves E, the intermediate connections, and the-.w'hcel W, substantially as described. 1

4. The aunularly-grooved' and flanged wheel \V, constructed with valve-seats b, andadapted to operate, in conjunction with an endless belt, B, within a close case, substantially as described.

5. The apparatus having belt-pulley R and wheel- \V arranged within casing and adapted to with belt B, all substantially as described.

F. G. HESSE.

operate Witnesses:

W. VAN Voonrnns,

WMSON GRAHAM.

The shaft of wheel w". 

